[6]

Brad Pitt simply isn’t very convincing outside his own time and place. This limitation was used to intentional comedic effect in Inglourious Basterds, and to unintentional effect in Troy. It doesn’t help that his character isn’t the most interesting — that would be Eric Bana’s. It also doesn’t help to have Orlando Bloom in your movie. Pretty much ever (Lord of the Rings being the only exception I can think of.) I made it through Troy, which is about the best I can say for it. Peter O’Toole’s scene where he pleads with Pitt to release his slain son’s corpse is almost enough to raise the film out of mediocrity. Mostly, I wish the movie felt ‘real.’ The sets, costumes, jumble of accents — it all feels plastic, like ‘mise-en-scene courtesy of Kmart.’